The Ukrainians have launched drone attacks deep in Russian territory, most notably using a Soviet-era Tu-141 to strike Engels airbase back in December, damaging a Russian strategic bomber. There have been a couple other cases using smaller drones more recently as well. Ukrainians haven’t been striking targets deep in Russia because they largely lack the capability to do so. If they have weapons that could strike accurately at long range, I’ve little doubt that logistics bases in Rostov and Belgorod would be targeted, as would any military airbase they could reach. I think they do have some Tochka-U ballistic missiles, but these aren’t very accurate and the Ukrainians are acutely aware that their continued support from the west is dependent on them not producing any headlines about mass civilian casualties in Kursk or wherever.
The US has told Ukraine not to strike into Russia with US supplied weapons, but Ukraine has hit Russian territory with domestic weaponry. I have very mixed feelings on this strategy to avoid the worst escalation.
No debates on this policy in this thread. I think there is already one for this or a new one can be started.
I really like the backup backup guy with the Russian flag inserted up his ass.
I think that’s bare-chested Putin and in front of him is Prigozhin.
I think you’re right, and also that it’s poking fun at how short Putin is.
I think you’re right, I never thought of that. The bare chest should have clued me in. I was trying to figure out why the flag guy was wearing a yarmulke. I guess that’s hair. 
I was just browsing the Wikipedia article on who is donating what to the Ukrainians. Philip Morris International has donated a half-million packs of cigarettes.
Of course long-term health threats to these soldiers is a secondary concern, but still.
Given what (little) I know about Easter Europe, cigarette smoking is still kind of ubiquitous and deprivation could definitely lower morale. “Smoke 'em if you got 'em, boys!”
a new visual on the result of the russian “wave” attacks:
(not too “graphic” - aereal photo of an open field with plenty of dead russians)
link spoiler’d
A quick search told me that there are 500k Ukrainians in the fight right now. That’s one pack of ciggies each. That won’t even last a week.
Sure, but how many Russians will surrender for a pack of smokes? Hell, some of the convicts are used to trading single cigarettes. 
That photo was from a couple of months ago (and already posted in this thread).
Here’s an equivalent from today, released by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine:
I hope they all remembered to keep the sunflower seeds in their pockets, so at least they can make some kind of positive contribution.
Another complication that Putin created. The last paragraph describes years of work to form allies on these countries.
Link ‘Russia has lost its soft power’: how war in Ukraine destabilises old Soviet allies | Russia | The Guardian
sorry to say you are right! … I should have vetted it more … 
Yeah, Russia still has a lot of influence in lots of countries, and not just their neighbors. And cooperation with Iran has probably increased in the past year. But, the invasion and their performance has definitely driven more countries away. The background discussions must be fascinating.
So… The Institute for the Study of War had this to say yesterday:
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova confirmed that there is infighting in the Kremlin inner circle, that the Kremlin has ceded centralized control over the Russian information space, and that Russian President Vladimir Putin apparently cannot readily fix it.
What does it mean that the Kremlin has “ceded centralized control over the Russian information space”? Is this saying that Putin does not have control over a propaganda arm to put out the usual bullshit to the Russian people? Will Russians actually start to hear about what a fuck-up this war has been?
Russia is still getting slaughtered in Bakhmut, with a recent claim of 1100 deaths and 1500 serious wounded in less than a week. Will Russians actually start to get information like this now?
For one thing, it means that people like Zakharova (i.e., not Putin) are able to say that there’s infighting in the inner circle. Up until now, saying things like that has been a windowable offense. We’ll see if it was this time.
If “windowable offense” doesn’t become a band name it should make it into the next dictionary update.